Endometriosis of the colon – a review of the literature

Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent clinical condition that manifests with functional endometrial tissue at sites outside the uterus or elsewhere than in the normal endometrial lining. Endometriosis of the colon is not common and its presentation is non-specific. In view of this, its diagnosis may be difficult. The aim of this review is to gather information from the available literature on endometriosis. Various internet databases were searched, including PubMed, Un-bound MEDLINE, DeepDyve, Google, Google Scholar, Educus and Yahoo. Colonic endometriosis is not uncommon and has a myriad of presentations. It affects Caucasians and the sigmoid colon predominantly. The risk of perforations, malignancy and mucosal involvement increases with gravidity, post-menopausal status and rectosigmoid sites, respectively. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion when managing women of child-bearing age who present with gastrointestinal symptoms or pelvic pain.